Lexington cricket league growing in second year, seeking field space

Saturday

On a hot Sunday afternoon behind Harrington Elementary School, families gather and watch as their children play cricket.

Cricket is as common in India as baseball is in America, according to Lexington Cricket League (LCL) founder Vivek Gupta.

“It’s one of the most passionate games for Indians. Growing up in India you eat, sleep, dream cricket,” the Lexington resident said.

When the league began a year ago, there were a handful of children and coaches involved. Now the league has approximately 70 children between ages 7 and 13, according to Gupta.

Gupta is from Pune, India, and his 10-year-old son plays in the league. He’s trying to promote the sport in Lexington and wants to secure a dedicated field for practices and games.

Gupta has encouraged many Indian families from throughout the suburbs north of Boston, since there are no other youth leagues close by. He plans to visit Lexington schools to garner interest from children of other ethnic groups and encourage them to join the league.

“We were looking for something like this for a while now. My wife found it in an Indian listing,” said Lexington resident Sriram Kalyanasundaram, whose 10-year-old son Siddhardh plays in the league. “Instead of playing with one or two kids in the driveway, he gets to hone his talents and have the same fun he gets in a school recreational sport, like soccer.”

Siddhardh was able “to learn the game through osmosis” while watching the Cricket World Cup in February and March in New Zealand and Australia. The World Cup is played every four years and is run by the International Cricket Council.

“It’s going back to my young days. I used to play four hours each day. It’s all I knew besides my studies,” said LCL coach Pradeep Jain.

A Westford resident, Jain believes the 45-minute drive to the field each Sunday is worth it to have his son play on the league, as is the experience he gets coaching.

“I do it because I played cricket enough, and if not me then who else? Somebody’s got to step up,” Jain said.

“It’s great that there’s even someone who’s taken the initiative to do this,” said Priya Sankalia. of Arlington.

Sankalia and her family lived in Bangalore, India, for three years, where her son Nishaad Vinayak began to play the sport. When they moved back to Arlington in 2014, Nishaad was looking for people to play with.

“He was missing cricket. The bug had bitten him,” said Nishaad's father Vihayak Hosagrahara.

Families who are new to the area, like the Nanavatis family, who moved to Lexington in 2013, said the league helps them and their children meet new people with similar backgrounds.

“It’s more of a social event as well. It’s a way to meet friends, to make new friends. If you want to find a good Indian restaurant, you just ask,” said Sonal Nanavatis.

While most parents are grateful for the opportunity, others would prefer that their children play on adequate fields.

Gupta said in cricket the bounce of the ball after it’s been hit or thrown matters. It is also important since the league is hosting other teams for its tournament June 20 and 21 and plans for more in the future.

“If you don’t have a pitch, kids can’t get to the international level,” said LCL coach Amit Srivastava, a Lexington resident.

An official cricket field is leveled and is made of a thin layer of grass, similar to the green on a golf course. The area between the thrower and batsman -- the pitch -- is made of clay, which is also flat.

The league practices on grass soccer fields and baseball fields at Harrington.

“My dream is to make it a mainstream American sport, and if that happens, why not have the children ready for it now?” Gupta said.